My name is Katsuobushi Dashihiko. I was the former homeroom teacher for Class 4 of the second year at Kamishiro High School, and now I'm Katsuobushi.

　However, I may not be a bonito-flavoured pork belly anymore.
　There was a possibility that I was standing on the verge of a new stage of evolution.

　Let's take the story in order.
　It had been more than two months since the students of Year 2 Class 4 had been reincarnated in another world. My lovely students are surviving in this fantasy world while using their abilities as monsters. One day, they will return to their world. That's what we all want, and we're working hard to make that happen.
　On the other hand, I've become a bonefish, and I can't move on my own. That's why I have asked the kitchen manager, Aya Sugiura (Attendance #26), to shelter me while I make delicious dashi broth for the students.

　The humans who have transformed into non-human forms, including me, seem to have passed through the "Transmigration Gate" and changed into their current forms. This Transition Transformation Gate not only changed their appearance into a monster, but also had the power to add various special effects.
　This transference incident itself was set up by a certain group of vampires, but it would take too long to get into that part of the story, so I won't go into it this time.

　Awakening to the abilities granted by the Transformation Transformation Gate is the so-called second stage. It's a state called "Phase 2". In fact, I've reached this, but there aren't that many students in my class who have awakened to Phase 2.
　The second phase is the third, which is a state that can be reached by taking the vampire factor into the body. The only student who has reached this phase 3 is Soraki Kyousuke, the fifth in the class.

　And now, there's a possibility that I might be the one who reaches that phase 3.

Sorry, Sensei......... I wasn't thinking too much about it either........

　Showing a slightly awkward face, Sugiura said.

'No, it's not your fault.... I had no choice but to do that right then and there.''
But, sir.... You're scared...?
Yeah, I'm scared. Maybe I'm going to end up as a bloodsucking fist...

　Apparently, they had found out that I was trembling in small increments. Utterly, I might be a disqualified teacher for showing such an abomination to my students.......

　Yes. To take in the factor means to become a vampire. So far, I can't see any bloodsucking urge in the guy from Soraki, but according to Benii Asuka (attendance number 1), who gave him the factor, it's not wrong to think of him as "blood-kinned" in the broadest sense of the word.

　And I, too, have been exposed to Benii's blood.
　There was also a villain who had tried to escape with Beni's blood. Sugiura had smashed the vial of blood with my body. As a result, my body was covered with a large amount of Beni's blood.
　It's nothing more than being covered in the blood of a pretty student. It's even a reward if you think of it as a beautiful girl like Beni. But now I'm still a teacher and a man, and I'm still food. That day, I didn't go into the pot to get the broth.

　Anyway, I was bathed in Beni's blood.

　Normally, to give a factor to a person, there is a certain process that needs to be followed. Apparently, just covering one's head with blood doesn't turn one into a blood family. As long as you don't pour blood with high density factor reserves directly into the opponent's body or make them drink a large amount of it, the factor won't stick inside them. That's why Sugiura, who is covered in blood from his head just like me, shows no particular signs of becoming a blood family.
　But that's just a general organism. As a skeleton, Soraki has no blood. When he was injured so severely that his entire body's bones were shattered, Benii dripped blood containing his own factor, and that guy survived and became a blood race.

　There's a chance that I, too, could become one.

　There aren't many types of monsters that can turn into blood clans by 'just spraying blood on them'. However, I couldn't find anything about katsuobushi in the database Beni had prepared, nor in the materials seized from the enemy's hideout. I didn't even know if I was going to become a blood clan just by covering myself in blood like a skeleton, or if I wouldn't be.

　I was terrified. I had a fear that I was going to be transformed into something I wasn't.

　As far as Soraki was concerned, that might not be the case. I hear that guy is still in that personality, even if he's turned into a blood family. But what if I had become blood-kin, then. I would become a demonic bloodsucking fist and attack Sugiura...?

Sir....

　Ms. Motono, who was placed in the corner of the kitchen, called me over.

'What is it?　Motono-san........
'Well, sir, you say you're afraid of turning into something you're not.
Yes, it's horrible.
'Haven't we already undergone a dramatic transformation once...?

　Sure, there are ways to interpret it that way. But that's it. This is it.

"Sensei, what do you think of dashi today...?
I'm sorry.... Let me rest today.....
Yeah, okay...

　Only one day has passed since the battle. Most of the students are preparing for the trade fair that will be held tomorrow on the island. Sugiura should be busy preparing the food, but for now he's going to stay with me.

'It's okay, teacher. I'll be on your side, no matter what you look like,

　Saying that, Sugiura gently stroked my body. This is not a good position to be in. I mocked myself slightly in my mind.

　Now, that's the time.

"Sugiura, are you there, Sensei?

　A well-passed voice echoed through the kitchen. Sugiura took her hand away from me and turned around to face the direction of the voice. But this time, instead of a hand, an octopus foot touched my body, a few of them. It was a little slick.

You're not going to be able to get it right. You're in there, right?

　The owner of the voice was the class president, Kunihiro Ryuzaki. It's the class president, Kunihiro Ryuzaki. There are not many students in this class who know me or Honno-san, but Ryuzaki is one of them.
　Ryuuzaki looked into the kitchen and gave me a small bow.

''Ryuuzaki, huh...''

　I responded in a voice so low that I am ashamed to admit it.

"Sensei, I've talked to Asuka as well, but she still doesn't know if you're going to become a 'blood relative' or not,"
''Well......... How is Beni doing now?
'I'm letting him rest. The symptoms of thirst are severe.... We'll be able to collect blood from the islanders tomorrow, but until then, it's going to be a difficult situation.

　The expression on Tatsuzaki's face is grim. You have become a very reliable committee chairman.
　The reason why we were able to complete the difficult mission of gathering human blood, and why our class is currently being held together is largely because of this guy. From now on, no matter what kind of crisis this class of 2 years 4 is facing, I am sure that we will be able to come together again.

　It's because of this man, Kunihiro Ryuzaki, that we are able to do so.

　On the other hand, I, on the other hand.

''Oh, my teacher is rotten again...''
Bonito flakes are rotten to begin with...
Sensei, it looks like dried bonito but it's actually tofu.

　Sugiura sounded dumbfounded, but there was still a slight tinge of concern behind it.

''Sir, I'm sorry I wasn't very helpful.
No, you're pretty good at that.

　I said that with all the pretense I could muster, at least as a teacher, so as not to worry Ryuzaki any more.

　Ryuzaki smiled a small smile, but I'm sure he could see right through me. He gave another small bail and left the kitchen. He should be busy for the time being. I saw Ryuzaki leave and sighed. No, I didn't put it on because it was a bonito fist, but I felt like it was on me.
　The future of becoming a bloodsucking katsuobushi is scary. But before that happens, do I have any lasting impressions as a teacher and as a bonefish?　Is there anything Katsugari Dehiko can do now before the factors that have seeped into his body cause a fatal transformation?　Thinking of Ryuzaki's back, I had the presence of mind to think about that much.

''Yes, Benii........''

　I mutter.

'What's wrong with Beni-san?'
No, I forgot to get Beni to drink my dashi.
'Oh, I see. Come to think of it, I've worked really hard since then and it's gotten better, so it's time for a revenge.

　Beni Asuka is the only student who didn't say that my dashi was good when she drank it. As Sugiura said, I want to get my revenge.

　But with my body, affected by the vampire factor........

''No, wait...''

　Is that, by any chance, the right thing to do?

　My body has been bathed in Beni's blood. My body was soaked in his blood. In other words, the factors that Beni had to consume in order to carry out his life activities were also seeping into my body.
　If I can make him drink it, I can make him feel a little better, at least until tomorrow.

Yes!

　I raised my voice.

'Sugiura, cut me down!
'What, oh!　Yeah!

　For a moment, Sugiura looked as if he had been struck by a misunderstanding, but he immediately smiled a big smile and picked up the planer placed in the corner of the kitchen.

　Immediately after, the kitchen echoed with my screams as my body was scraped away.




　My dashi was delivered safely to Benii by Okuma and Sakuma, who were quite confused since it was the first time they'd seen me as a bonito-flavoured pork belly, but they soon acknowledged that I was the teacher.
　By the way, it was the first time for me to see Sakuma in his rumored vintage fashion, so I was very impressed. I was glad to be a teacher, I thought to myself.

　When Sakuma came to return the dishes, he told me that Benii was feeling a little better.

　I was relieved, but at the same time I remembered a slight disappointment.
　The fact that Benii's condition had improved, in other words, meant that the factor mixed dashi had been removed from my body. My body has been turned into a blood family. It's as good as a blood-sucking dried bonito fist.

"Sensei.........

　Sugiura, perhaps noticing my heart, muttered sadly.

''Don't look at me like that, Sugiura.......''
But, sir.... You're going to turn into a bloodsucking dried bonito...?
I may have already become one, but...

　With that, I looked up at the ceiling (I thought). After listening to me and Sugiura's conversation, Honno-san seemed a little uncomfortable saying, ''Well, I'm here too,'' but for now, I decided to focus on the atmosphere here.

''Sugiura, if I become a bloodsucking katsuobushi who has lost his ego, then...''
And then...?
I want you to kill me with your own hands.

　Sugiura huffs and stares at me with wide eyes. Ms. Motono said in a small voice, ''Umm, how does a teacher die?'' I muttered to myself, which I certainly wondered about as much as I did, but I still pretended not to hear it, focusing on the atmosphere.

I'm not going to be able to get it right. Okay, but.........
Good girl...

　I won't ask beyond "but". Because that would surely only dull Sugiura's resolve.

　At that moment, I felt my whole body pulsate with a thumping sensation. An illusion. My body was a bonefish. There was no way that blood could pass through it.
　But I remembered that I had experienced a sensation similar to this before. That was not long after I had transferred to this world. It was when I had awakened to my Phase 2 ability, Infinite Rebirth.

　At that time, too, there was a pulsing sensation in my whole body and a heat that scorched and melted my body.

　Ah, it has begun. I understand. This must be the very signal of awakening to Phase 3!

　It was never a welcome sight for me. It was as if I had a burning iron pressed against my brain marrow. I don't have any brain marrow, though!　Still, I could feel the pain I was supposed to have lost screaming at me. I stifled my voice and writhed with a clatter.

''Ungh...!
Sir?
I guess it's finally here.... If I were to become a vampire bonito........
No, no!　Doctor!　No!　I'm....

　Oh, no matter what form it takes, it's an ally, he said, or so he said.

　But that's no good, Sugiura. I'm a teacher, I'm a teacher. The teacher should be on the side of the students, but the students should not be on the side of the teacher. A teacher is only to be used by the students and, more importantly, if he or she goes too far, the Board of Education will look for him or her.

"Katsugari-sensei!

　Honno-san also called my name.

　Sugiura reaches for me. But I was no longer able to even let out a scream. I felt as if my body was gradually changing. My body, which had been stretched out like a wooden sword, was changing shape. A swooshing smoke rose, and then.........

　Pop.

　The smoke popped with a bright sound and I fell to the floor.

　Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I fell down flat. I was no longer a bonito fist.
　Yes, if I had to describe it, it would be fish openings.
　I had become like a dried fish.

　What was this? What had happened?

　I look around, unable to understand what had happened to me. No, I can't look around because I don't have a neck.
　The heat and pain that engulfed my entire body had completely receded. I just went from bonefish to fish openings, but beyond that, I don't feel like anything has changed. Would you say this was Phase 3?

　But so far there is no such thing as a bloodsucking urge. I'm just being me.

'Sir...?'

　Sugiura nodded her head and tried to slowly reach out to me.

''Sugiura........''

　I'm going to call her by her name, too.

　To be honest, I was relieved. I had reached a new level without becoming the dreaded katsuobushi bucket monster. I could no longer make dashi for the rest of the class, but now I could stay in the kitchen again. No, I can get good dashi broth even from dried fish. If infinite rebirth is still alive, though....

I'm sorry about that, Sugiura. I'm sorry for worrying you. It seems I'm........

　Just as I was about to say that, Sugiura, who was about to reach out to me, suddenly stopped his hand.

........Sugiura?
d*mn.
What?

　Immediately afterwards, Sugiura held his nose and took one or two steps backwards. I don't know how well the concept of one or two steps is valid with that octopus-legged lower half of his body, but he stepped back that much in his experience for now.
　The color on his face was as if he was looking at something unbelievable.

''Gosh, I'm sorry sensei!　Hey, that's.......unreasonable!　Impossible, unreasonable!

　As soon as he said it, Sugiura held his nose and dashed out of the kitchen.

''Sugiura!　Hey, Sugiura!

　I called out frantically, but Sugiura didn't come back. I was going to ask her what the hell this was all about, but she was slumped on the shelf with the cover closed.
　Ms. Motono had fainted.




　Apparently, I had been crapped out.

　Furthermore, it's hard to say if this is a Phase 3 ability, apparently. In the first place, I'm an irregularity in this class, and to top it off, I was reincarnated into something unexpected like bonito flakes, so it's difficult to fit it into the existing data.
　Benii, who had become much paler after taking blood, told me this while picking his nose.

'Why did you become a kusaya in the first place?　Does Beni-san's blood have the same efficacy as kusa-yajiru?
Can you not be so obnoxious?

　Beni gives a cold look to Sugiura, who tilts her head while picking her nose as well.

''Because the figure after reincarnation is inevitably dragged by the spirit........ Since you are mentally rotten, your body must have rotted as well, right?
Okay.

　Oh, yeah, right. I'd like to disagree with you a lot. If you say that, the other guys can change their appearance in various ways depending on how they're feeling.
　But I didn't say that because I felt that however much I said that, it would just be cleared up as 'because you're an irregularity'. I should consider it a good thing that I didn't turn into Surströmmings.

　Beni then left the galley with a pinched nose. He had something he wanted to explain to the entire class, after all.

''d*mn it, what am I going to do now...''
We'll just have to find a way to get back to the katsuobushi, won't we?

　Pinching his nose, Sugiura said as if it were someone else's business. I was a bit miffed.

'Why do you hate it so much, anyway!　You're a diner's daughter!
We didn't have any grass pits... I've got a good nose.
An octopus?
It's not an octopus. It's Scylla. Scylla can be a dog underneath, you know.
'What about the fact that he has a good nose!　You can't just build a setup like that after the fact, it's going to fail one day!　I know a lot about this!
'I don't want to be told by a teacher who's going to turn into a kusaya all of a sudden.

　Crap.

　I couldn't say it back.
　Kusaya is delicious. My family's dry goods store used to carry it occasionally, so I know it well. But the kusaya is for eating, not for guiding people. The kusaya is to be eaten, not to be used as a guide.
　In my case, it's a pattern of a teacher turned kusaya, but in this case, it won't make much difference.

''........I told you that I'm on your side no matter what you look like.......''

　I mutter.

'If it were Katsuobushi Sensei Katsugushi, I could say that, but Kusaya, I'm not sure...'

　Sugiura said and headed for the exit of the galley with her nose in her mouth.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you're not going to be able to get your hands on any of these things. Sensei, you have to think of a way to get back to the katsuobushi.......

　As it was, Sugiura really left the galley. What a cold-hearted guy.

　I looked over the bookshelf with a grumpy, angry look. Honno-san is still unconscious. I secretly felt sorry for her, as I had a feeling she was being treated quite roughly, too. I would have to find a way to get back to the bonito fist for Honno-san's sake.

　It wasn't long after that that a mysterious light rushed over me as I was pondering, and my consciousness was cut off with a pang.